Royals unveil City Connect uniforms

The Royals have unveiled their City Connect uniforms which will be worn on the field for their April 30 game against the Yankees and every Friday home game. The uniforms are the brainchild of a partnership between MLB and Nike that was introduced last year for a few select teams to highlight the character of the city the team represents.

For the Royals, the uniforms are a tribute to the city’s fountains and art deco architecture.

You can see more angles of the cap here.

ESPN’s Joon Lee has more on the uniforms and the detail they included. Royals senior vice president Sarah Tourville said the team did not want to reference BBQ because it was “too obvious”. However, the uniforms include several references to the baseball history of the city, including the navy blue color, which was worn by the Athletics, Monarchs, and other pro teams that played in Kansas City.

The logo on the sleeve is an homage to the team’s original franchise logo from 1969. The triple braiding on the sleeves is reminiscent of the team’s uniform from the 1980s while the new number styling is a reference to the city’s art deco architecture. On the inside of the collar is “HEY HEY HEY HEY” in stitching, a nod to the Royals’ victory song by Paul McCartney.

Other City Connect uniforms that have been unveiled already this year include the Washington Nationals, who incorporated the cherry blossoms of the city, and the Houston Astros, who set sales records with their “Space City” uniforms.

The Rockies, Angels, Brewers, and Padres will also have City Connect uniforms this season. The Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers, Marlins, and Giants all had City Connect uniforms last season.

What do you think of the Royals City Connect uniforms?